


CI5's Night before Christmas

by moth2fic



Category: The Professionals
Genre: M/M, Poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-25
Updated: 2012-01-25
Packaged: 2017-10-30 02:53:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/326968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moth2fic/pseuds/moth2fic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ray and Bodie save Christmas...</p>
            </blockquote>





	CI5's Night before Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> With apologies and thanks to Clement Clarke Moore.
> 
> Written for the Discovered under the Christmas Tree challenge, December 2011.
> 
> Thanks to pushkin666 and kat_lair for the beta.
> 
> Originally posted on LJ in discoveredinalj community (28.12.11.) and accompanied by Christmas icons for people to grab.

'twas the day of the reckoning; not even squad A  
dared argue with Cowley. There'd be hell to pay.  
They'd fiddled expenses. He knew that they had  
and they knew that he knew it and that he was sad.  
So Anson chain smoked while Jax stood on one foot  
and Murphy was wondering where he should put  
the nice leather jacket he'd now have to hide  
in case Major Cowley should abruptly decide  
to call in the fruits of their legerdemain   
and make public property public again.  
The thought of the jacket all wrinkled and torn  
or even worse, 'smoked', if by Anson worn   
made poor Murphy wonder why he'd ever thought   
they could fiddle expenses without getting caught.  
BDBDBD  
But what was that noise they could hear on the stair?  
A bound and a thump... and a rip-roaring cheer  
went up from the agents. They now stood a chance.  
Bodie came in - with Ray in advance.  
They'd always distract the old man with their tricks.  
He'd want to be seeing them now, before six.  
While they were in there (on the carpet no doubt)  
The rest could conveniently let themselves out.  
Tomorrow was Christmas; not even a Scot  
could choose to be mean on the festival. Not   
that that meant he would ever forget  
but they'd have until Boxing Day morning to get  
rid of the evidence then, with no clue  
to suspected wrongdoing, what could Cowley do?  
BDBDBD  
'The Cow wants to see you,' somebody cried  
then Betty was ushering them sweetly inside.  
The major was sipping a dram of good scotch.  
It wasn't on offer. 'How did you botch  
the easiest job, your assignment today?  
How could you let the wrongdoer get away?'  
He sounded annoyed and he spoke with a growl;  
he looked at the pair with a thunderous scowl.  
'Well, sir,' said Bodie, 'we tried to gun down  
the criminal fleeing the centre of town  
but the shops were so busy - it's Christmas you know -  
and we thought you'd prefer us to let the man go   
than to catch in the crossfire a shopper or two  
so we watched while he ran then we came back to you.'  
'And brought,' added Doyle with a hint of a grin,  
'the bag that he dropped - want to see what's within?'  
BDBDBD  
'I suppose so,' sighed Cowly then watched as they poured  
out the contents, producing a veritable hoard  
of silver and copper and notes aplenty:  
some fives; lots of tens; the occasional twenty.  
'That's better in here than out there in the street,'  
he said, and the IRA won't get the treat  
of the guns they were hoping for. That's a relief!  
You've done quite well, lads; that's my honest belief.'  
And now there appeared (in the midst of the pile)  
two glasses of scotch, which made the lads smile.  
'What shall we do with the cash, sir?' Ray asked.  
At once the top agents were seriously tasked   
With ensuring the money went where it would do  
the most good, and our intrepid heroes just knew  
that the best Christmas use of the money they'd brought   
was to help other agents by whose sides they'd fought.  
BDBDBD  
They didn't discuss it; the need was so plain  
to make the expenses books tally again.  
There was something left over, not really a lot  
but enough to buy all of the agents a tot  
in the pub where they gathered. A cheer rose once more  
to our lads who had saved them, as often before.  
Anson was offering them each a cigar.  
Jax ordered a second full round at the bar.  
Murphy was praising them up to the skies  
For saving his bacon, and bought them mince pies.  
He said they deserved them for saving his jacket  
They drank and then Bodie declared he was knackered.  
BDBDBD  
Ray drove the Capri and they parked at his flat.  
'A nightcap?' he asked and thought that would be that  
But the joys of the evening had turned Bodie's head  
and the pair of them ended entangled in bed  
and there they remained until Christmas day.  
'That was the best Christmas ever,' said Ray .


End file.
